


To the Night's End

by hktk



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-15 18:52:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8068780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hktk/pseuds/hktk
Summary: “Aren’t you lonely spending time with that camera boy all the time?”





	

**Author's Note:**

> SORRY it's messy i wrote it in like 4 hours. it has a happy ending for once too. i let my boys live. 
> 
> spoilers tho. not major.

“We’re getting married.”

The words hit him like a sack of bricks. He hadn’t been expecting this at all. How could he? Or, was he so certain it would happen that he simply pushed it to the furthest part of his mind?

“Con…”

He had to say something. He had to. His friend’s expression shifted from an excited smile to a confused, disappointed smile. He, himself, tried not to show too much emotion on his own face, but his brows furrowed in frustration.

“...gratulations. Congratulations.” His expression softened, and he continued: “I’m sorry, I couldn’t think of the word.” He flashed a brief smile, and his friend smiled back.

“I’d like you to be my best man,” said his friend. And he nodded.

Of course he’d be the best man. He’d do anything for his _friend_. “I will do my best.”

“I’ll leave it all to you, Jumin. Now, please excuse me. Sorry to drop such a heavy announcement on you and suddenly have to leave.” The smile only widened. His own faltered. “Rika is waiting for me.”

With that, the other left.

He stood around for a bit in his office. He had stood up in the first place to greet his friend when he had first come in, and they had chatted for a bit before the other suddenly wanted to tell him something.

Papers flew everywhere as he smacked them from his desk. He didn’t care for them. No, he didn’t at all. How could he? He didn’t even know why he was feeling this way.

How could he?

“Mr. Han?” asked his assistant, opening the door hesitantly presumably because of all the commotion, gasping at the mess he had made.

 

—

 

“Jumin! No, no! You be I!”

“Huh…?”

A young Jumin Han stared up at an older Jihyun Kim with wide eyes as the other tried to climb the tree they previously sat underneath. Although they were only a year and some apart, Jihyun had grown up into a finer young man, taller than Jumin. Jumin would always say he didn’t care, no, but deep down, he wished to be taller than his best friend.

“I’ll be V,” said Jihyun valiantly, scratching at the bark of the tree that Jumin sat under, “and you be I.”

“V?”

“For victory! Of course!” Jihyun laughed as if it was _that_ obvious. “Valiance, venerable, _visionary_!”

“And I?” Jumin asked. What barrage of adjectives would he get now?

“I is for imaginative. Idolized, immense!”

Jumin stood up, wiping off the back of his trousers. He still looked up at Jihyun—now _V_ —who had successfully climbed and rested on one of the branches, kicking his legs.

“What’s this about? I don’t understand.”

He never understood what Jihyun talked about. Always going on and on about great ideas that never made any sense or would be impossible to achieve in the current state of world affairs. Yet, somehow, when Jihyun talked about saving the world, Jumin believed him, believed he would one day do it. Even if he didn’t understand particularly why.

“Why? It’s because I want to! Don’t you think it’d be fun? Like secret agent code names.”

“But we aren’t secret agents.”

“It’s _pretend_ , Jumin,” Jihyun said, though he still smiled ever so patiently down at his best friend. “We should make up our own language, too, so that no one will be able to read them.”

“That’d be fun.” He tried to think of the linguistics behind a language, what all went into creating one, and he genuinely thought it’d be fun, even if he didn’t show much emotion about it. “I’d like to try.” He’d have to check out books on linguistics at the library.

“Ah, hand me my camera, please!” Jihyun— _V_ —reached down a hand, and Jumin grabbed the camera from its protective bag, handing it up to him. V aimed the camera and focused, and as he did so, _I_ turned to look at where he was aiming.

The sun had started to set, and it painted only the most beautiful red hues in the previously pure blue sky. They mixed and mingled and rich, purple colors were the result.

I turned back to look at V, with that dumb, goofy, carefree smile on his face that showed below the edge of the expensive camera I had got him for his last birthday—he used it every day—and bright, bright minty eyes.

I would never forget that day. Although they eventually gave up on creating a secret language and dropped the code names as they grew older, Jumin would never forget the moment, as Jihyun’s hair blew in the gentle wind and framed his face. He didn’t know what he felt, but it brought a smile to his face.

He would never, _ever_ forget.

How could he?

 

—

 

> **[ X/15/20X4 : 18:42 : ZEN, Yoosung★, Jaehee Kang ]**
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Ah man I    
>  **Yoosung★:** failed my first exam ever!!!!!
> 
> **ZEN:** What? How did you manage to do that?
> 
> **Yoosung★:** I was just too excited for tomorrow and couldn’t study at all……
> 
> **ZEN:** So you just completely blanked? ;;
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Basically, yeah…
> 
> **Yoosung★:** ;;
> 
> **— 707 has entered the chat —**
> 
> **Yoosung★:** I asked the professor to give me a do-over, but he’s too pre-occupied with everyone else asking for one too…
> 
> **Yoosung★:** It must’ve been some really hard test or something
> 
> **707:** Hiya hey hey
> 
> **707:** lol did you even look at the test?! lolol
> 
> **Yoosung★:** I did! I think… I can’t even remember what it was on though....
> 
> **ZEN:** Please pay more attention in class;; Soon you’ll be doing nothing but playing games
> 
> **Yoosung★:** But I do! You understand how I am, right, Zen?
> 
> **Yoosung★:** How _couldn’t_ you be excited for tomorrow!? I don’t think Ill b able to slep tongiht
> 
> **ZEN:** Yoosung, typos;;
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Sorry! That’s just how excited I am
> 
> **Yoosung★:** I mean... **my cousin is getting married!**
> 
> **707:** ya
> 
> **707:** and ur the ring bearer lolol
> 
> **ZEN:** Why is that funny? I think it’s cool.
> 
> **707:** he’s not eight, he’s nineteen lolol
> 
> **707:** Hello~
> 
> **707:** Can i be the flower girl?
> 
> **ZEN:** **No.**
> 
> **Yoosung★:** **No.**
> 
> **707:** Aw...
> 
> **707:** Hey, is Jaehee even paying attention??
> 
> **Yoosung★:** She’s been quiet ever since she came in.
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Do you think she’s nervous too?
> 
> **707:** Well she is a robot
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** **I am not a robot.**
> 
> **707:** So I don’t think so
> 
> **707:** Woah, quick response!!!!
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I currently cannot find Mr. Han. I have been searching all morning and afternoon.
> 
> **ZEN:** What? Dude’s missing?
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Unfortunately.
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** He won’t answer his phone since this morning.
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I have checked everywhere. His office, his father’s office, the meeting room, his penthouse...
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** _They have all been empty._
> 
> **ZEN:** Where could that idiot go right before the wedding?
> 
> **ZEN:** He’s not taking an impromptu business trip, is he?
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: I surely hope not.**
> 
> **Yoosung★:** I’ll help look for him too...
> 
> **Yoosung★:** I mean, he couldn’t have gone far, right?;;
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** How do you propose you’ll help?
> 
> **Yoosung★:** I... dunno... but I wanna!
> 
> **707:** hey not to interrupt but
> 
> **707:** don’t you think Jumin’s been kinda weird lately? lol
> 
> **ZEN:** What do you mean? This might lead to finding him!
> 
> **707:** Just a thought... you know one of those thoughts that don’t really mean anything at all in particular and you’re just saying it to say it lolol
> 
> **ZEN:** Seven... I really don’t understand you...
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Luciel. Please tell me what you mean.
> 
> **707:** I mean, isn’t it obvious? lol
> 
> **707:** Jumin is......
> 
> **707:** Ooops!! Vanderwood is here, I better go
> 
> **— 707 has left the chatroom —**
> 
> **ZEN:** Damn... He probably knows where that cat boy is.
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Maybe he’s onto something though? Jumin _has_ been acting kinda weird now that he’s said something...
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** What do you mean?
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Well, he’s been coming into the chat less and less.
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Hasn’t he been working himself to death too??

 

—

 

Ah, weddings. The result of joy, celebration, and devotion for many. People gathered in large quantities from all over the country, from both families, give observance to two deeply devoted individuals being united for the rest of their lives. Hundreds of weddings happen each day across the globe, and hundreds more will happen after those.

Weddings are a cause of celebration as well. To think, that these two people love one another so much they want to live together forever and beyond. It’s truly a momentous occasion.

For Jumin Han, however, as he stood next to his best friend, the photographer commonly known as simply _V_ , fussing over his tie and being unable to tie it, it was the cause of his current stomachache.

He brushed away V’s hands, who sighed in defeat, and tied the bowtie for him with ease. V smiles at him, and his stomachache only grows more and more painful.

“Thanks,” says Jihyun.

“No problem,” he says, coldly, without meaning to.

It doesn’t catch V’s attention. Jumin is always cold, always curt, even when he’s with V. Perhaps, in the past, he had been less so, but now, especially now, as they stood in the backroom of the church making last minute adjustments as they awaited everyone’s arrival, he was cold.

He _felt_ cold. His fingertips felt like ice cubes against his wrist, fiddling with the collar. He always did that, he thought. Jumin had only become aware of this so-called ‘nervous tic’ recently, when Rika brought it up just last week. Since then, he had made a conscious decision to try and stop, yet he always failed.

He didn’t want to stop it.

How could he?

It put him at ease.

V had apparently picked up on it long before, for he put his hand on Jumin’s fidgeting one, and all at once, Jumin felt calm. He no longer felt cold; V’s hand was so warm.

“You’re acting more nervous than I am, Jumin.”

“I’m sorry, V,” he says, a little more emotion in his voice.

V’s laughter lights up the room. “Don’t be. I’m sure I’ll be a wreck when it’s actually time to put on the show. That’s why you’re here!” V withdrew his hand, and the chill crept up his spine again.

His stomachache was relentless.

“Of course,” and he forces a smile.

V’s expression softens. He places both hands on Jumin’s shoulders, massaging them gently with two strong thumbs. “Listen. Everything’s going to be okay. Trust me.”

He trusted V. He had unwavering faith in him, actually. There wouldn’t be a point in time where he _wouldn’t_ trust him. “I do.”

“Then, calm down for me, alright? Haha, I don’t need you a mess in front of everyone.”

“I will. I’ll be fine out there.”

V clapped his shoulders and pulled his arms away, turning back towards the mirror. “I’m glad. You’re always there for me, Jumin.” He looked over his shoulder at the other. “I wanted to thank you. Even if...”

Jumin couldn’t stop himself. “Even if... What?”

“... No, now’s not the time to talk about that, okay? I’ll talk to you later about it. Just... thank you.”

Jumin smiled a genuine smile, reaching out to adjust the bowtie again. “... I will always be here for you.”

The door swung open, and a very frantic, out-of-breath Yoosung came running in. “V! V! She’s here!”

V blinked, completely calm, before he realized what that meant. “Oh. Oh! Ah, ah, it’s time, then, isn’t it? I’ll be out in a second.”

Yoosung made an ‘OK’ sign with his thumb and forefinger before dashing right back out. V sighed, straightening himself up.

“... It’s now or never, Jumin.”

_Please pick never._

“Do you think I’ll be able to do it?”

_Please don’t do it._

Even Jumin was surprised at these intrusive thoughts. He didn’t let the surprise show but for a moment, returning to his deadpanned look. “You can do it, Jihyun.” His words didn’t match his mind. “I believe you and Rika will be very happy together.”

V smiled at that. “Thank you for your kind words. I believe we will be together forever, now that you said that.”

 

—

 

I for:

ignorant.

idiotic.

illogical.

irascible.

 

—

 

The wedding was a quiet one. Not many people were invited, so all of them showed up, but it was held in secret, away from many cameras and reporters who’d be eager to write up a journal on Jumin Han crying at the reception.

Jumin had stood stone still the entire ceremony; he absolutely did not move, for he feared that he would collapse and disappear from this Earth if he did so. He only looked surprised at the words “I do” emitted from both of their mouths, and the rings that they placed on one another’s hands looked oh-so expensive.

V looked good with a ring on.

Which was currently why Jumin was hiding.

He had stolen an entire bottle of wine from one of the waitresses who recognized him, stealing himself away to a small corner in the back of the large room.

He had already given his speech. “Jihyun Kim and Rika are dear friends to me,” he had said, “and I’m sure they will have many more happy moments with one another.”

From the back, between the numerous heads on the dance floor, he could see Rika hanging off of V. She never let go. His stomachache only persisted. He drank another entire glass of wine in one go, filling the glass back up immediately. He didn’t drink this much often, and he didn’t exactly know why he was doing it now. He just...felt like he needed it. Like it would cure this stomachache. Like it would cure his heartache—

No, no. That’s not what he was feeling.

Yet every time he looked at V, his chest hurt.

No, no.

How could he?

He held up his left hand, visualizing a ring on his own finger.

He held up the glass, drinking it all in one go once more.

“I see you’re enjoying yourself greatly.”

The voice startled him, and he nearly spits up the wine all over himself.

Seven’s laughter washed over him, and he looked up at the other before Seven grabbed a chair, spun it around, and straddled it, leaning his chin on his hand, elbow on the back.

“Hello,” Jumin said stupidly, drunkenly.

Seven only laughed again.

“If you’re here to laugh at me, please dismiss yourself.”

“Okay, okay, sorry. It’s just, you look so pitiful all by yourself here. No one else noticed you getting drunk off your ass?”

“I am not, quote-unquote,” air quotes, “drunk off my ass.”

Seven pursed his lips. “Are you sure? I’ve never seen you do air quotes before. That’s pretty suspicious. Are you sure you haven’t been replaced with some sort of secret alien experiment?”

Jumin was so drunk that he seriously thought about it for a second before shooting Luciel a look. The perpetrator winked at him, and they sat in silence for a few moments.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Seven suddenly said. He scooted the chair closer.

“About what?”

“Everything and anything. Where you were yesterday. That kind of stuff.”

Jumin thought about yesterday. “I was everywhere and nowhere. That’s all you need to know.”

“Ah! You’re turning into me,” Seven said, leaning back and clapping his hands. “That’s an expert answer. Did I finally get onto the deep route?”

“What in God’s name are you talking about?”

“Nothing, nothing.” Seven smiled dazzlingly at him. “But... Where were you really? Everyone was worried for you.”

“I saw.” That was his only answer.

Seven gave up and continued with: “Then... Do you want to talk about V?”

Jumin narrowed his eyes at his friend. Talk about _what_ about V? Talk about how he felt like his stomach was about to rip itself out and come up through his throat, pulling his heart along with it?

How could he?

“That’s a, uh, little morbid there, Juminya.”

Oh, he just did.

Seven reached for the bottle of wine, and Jumin relented, shoulders slumping. Setting the wine glass on the table, he leaned on his elbows next to it, head in his hands as he rubbed his face, before the moved up to grip his slicked back hair. He mussed it up, digging his fingers into his scalp.

“Woah, easy there,” Seven said, switching to the chair directly next to him. He laid a hand on Jumin’s shoulder, trying to comfort him. But Jumin only dug harder, and harder, and harder, until his sobs shook his entire frame. How could this happen to him?

Kill all emotions. _Kill all emotions._ **Kill all emotions.**

A motto he lived by. A motto he created. A motto he couldn’t follow right now.

Seven dug his own fingers into Jumin’s shoulder, trying to wake him up from this despicable coma he was in presumably. Jumin shuddered, straightening his back, hands on the table. Seven never let go. He drew in a sharp intake of breath and stood.

“Please tell Jihyun I’m not feeling well, that I drank too much. I’ll be taking my leave now.”

“Jumin, wait—”

Jumin grabbed his coat, heading towards the door.

Just as he opened it, he stole one last glance at V, who met his eyes curiously.

Jumin crossed the threshold and left.

 

—

 

“Aren’t you lonely spending time with that camera boy all the time?”

His step-mother often asked that. Every single time, he wouldn’t answer, just like every other question she asked. Jumin would never regret spending time with Jihyun, though there was a point where he couldn’t take _not_ spending time with him.

V, unlike him, had other friends. V would spend time with them, and it would kill him inside every time he called his friend, asking to hang out when all he got was a rejection. That didn’t happen often, but the times it did happen stuck to him like glue.

Jihyun often told him he was his best friend in the entire world, that he wouldn’t be here without him. Jumin believed him.

Stupidly.

But he believed him. And he enjoyed believing him.

He wanted Jihyun all to himself.

 

—

 

 

> **[ X/23/20X4 : 13:11 : ZEN, Yoosung★, 707 ]**
> 
> **707:** hiya
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Seven!!!!!
> 
> **707:** wow!! so eager lol
> 
> **Yoosung★: Have you seen Jumin?**
> 
> **707:** Huh?
> 
> **ZEN:** Yoosung’s right in asking.
> 
> **ZEN:** Jumin hasn’t been around for a whole week.
> 
> **ZEN:** Even I’m starting to get worried...
> 
> **707:** oh that lol
> 
> **707:** Don’t worry about him okay?!
> 
> **707:** Hes in the process of
> 
> **707:** killing
> 
> **707:** his
> 
> **707:** emotions
> 
> **Yoosung★:** What?!? Why would he do that??
> 
> **— V has entered the chatroom —**
> 
> **V:** Oh, he’s not here.
> 
> **V:** Hello, everyone. ^^;
> 
> **707:** .........
> 
> **Yoosung★:** V! Aren’t you on your honeymoon still?
> 
> **V:** We’re just returning. We should be home shortly.
> 
> **ZEN:** How was it?
> 
> **V:** Did Jumin not show you the pictures?
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Huh...? No, he didn’t
> 
> **Yoosung★:** What pictures?
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Actually, we haven’t heard from Jumin in a week...
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Jaehee’s said he locked himself up in his office and won’t even go home
> 
> **V:** What?
> 
> **V:** Truthfully, I’ve been trying to reach him too, to no avail.
> 
> **V:** No wonder you haven’t seen the photos. I’ll be sure to send them soon when I have better service.
> 
> **707: I thnk we should leav juminya alone for nw**
> 
> **707:** typo; sorry, im working
> 
> **ZEN:** Why do you say that? You mentioned it earlier too.
> 
> **707:** Just lol
> 
> **707:** You guys really dont get it do you?
> 
> **707:** gtg now
> 
> **— 707 has left the chatroom —**
> 
> **V:**...?
> 
> **V:** What’s this about **killing his emotions** that Luciel mentioned?
> 
> **Yoosung★:** He didn’t say...
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Now I’m worried for both of them...
> 
> **ZEN:** I’m sure they’ll both be fine, Yoosung.
> 
> **ZEN:** There’s no need to worry for Jumin, if Seven doesn’t think we should.
> 
> **ZEN:** What do you think, though, V?
> 
> **— V has left the chatroom —**
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh.

 

—

 

Jumin worked. That’s all he did. For a steady week, he worked. He completed his work in record time. He even started doing other departments’ work, picking up on their slack, finishing _that_ within record time.

So far, the process of ‘killing all emotions’ was going well.

If he didn’t sleep, he didn’t think about anything. If he didn’t think about anything, his stomachache wouldn’t come back. There were times when he did fall asleep though, face planted on his desk, and he’d often wake up with his jacket around his shoulders, presumably from Jaehee coming to check in on him.

He started doing her work, too. He gave her a holiday, in fact, a forced one, so that he had more work to do. She declined it, saying she was too worried about him, saying that everyone was too worried about him.

V still continued to contact him. He’d send Jumin photos of the honeymoon, pictures of him and Rika together, standing on a beach with a beautiful sunset as the backdrop. He hated those photos.

He did like the photos with no one in it. They were very nice, so nice that he set one as his desktop background.

He read these messages, these emails, these texts, yet he did not reply to any of them. V had called one too many times, yet he did not pick up. Everyone in the RFA called, actually, even Rika, and he especially did not pick up.

He...resented her, in a way, and it made him feel terrible. But he couldn’t help it. He didn’t know how else to channel these feelings, these utterly despicable feelings, besides mild dislike.

His phone dinged. A new message...from V.

 

 

> **From: V - 19:27**
> 
> What are you doing? Are you working nonstop? I thought you stopped doing that.

 

He didn’t answer.

His phone dinged again a few minutes later.

 

>  
> 
> **From: V - 19:31**
> 
> Jumin. Please, for the love of God, answer me. Please let me know you’re alright.
> 
>  
> 
> **From: V - 19:31**
> 
> Jumin! Please! I’m really worried for you.
> 
>  
> 
> **From: V - 19:32**
> 
> Do you hate me? Do you hate me? Please. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. I don’t know what I did wrong, but please forgive me. Does it have something to do with the wedding?
> 
>  
> 
> **From: V - 19:34**
> 
> Did you love Rika? I’m sorry.
> 
>  
> 
> **From: Jumin - 19:34**
> 
> No.
> 
>  
> 
> **From: V - 19:34**
> 
> Oh, thank you for answering. Thank God you did.
> 
> What is it then? Please tell me. I can try to help. Try to amend it. I don’t think I can stand you hating me.
> 
>  
> 
> **From: Jumin - 19:35**
> 
> I would never hate you. Ever.
> 
> I have work to do. Please excuse me.

 

He turned his phone off. He couldn’t take this anymore.

He worked, and worked, and worked, and changed his desktop photo.

 

—

 

After that week, Jumin successfully killed all emotions.

 

—

 

A year passed. Shortly after the second party, V and Jumin, their relationship fully recovered, had lunch. They met once a week to have lunch together, though it had been on pause for awhile because of party preparations.

Everything went as usual. No “how are yous” because they both knew how the other was doing. No “the weather’s nices” because they could both tell. No, they skipped over all the formalities, diving straight into the informalities that surrounded their long-lasting relationship.

But one thing caught Jumin’s eye. He had been glancing around for a waiter when he noticed it but—no, there was definitely a large bruise on V’s forearm. V was wearing a sweater, but it only had three-quarter length sleeves, and so most of the bruise was apparent.

“What’s that?” Jumin asked, both curiously and concerned.

“Oh.” Jihyun pulled his arm off the table, hiding it beneath it. “Lighting equipment came over me.”

Jumin’s eyes danced along the rest of V’s body, and he thought he saw faint marks on his neck before V pulled the turtleneck up.

 

—

 

He was the first to arrive at the hospital. As soon as he had heard that V had been admitted, he canceled all of his afternoon meetings and took a helicopter. There was too much traffic right now—it was just after one o’clock.

Jumin wasn’t allowed to see him, though, even when he told him that was his _best friend_ in there. No, because he was currently in _surgery_ of all things. He tried to squeeze information out of the nurses, but they wouldn’t budge.

He settled on burning a path into the hospital floor’s waiting room.

As soon as he was allowed to see his friend, he almost didn’t want to. He stood in the doorway, half-breathless.

“Is someone there?” V’s voice was weak, like he was too tired to really put forth much effort. He looked...pained, of course, lying in that bed with nothing but a gown on, IV dripping into him.

“Why didn’t you tell me...?” he whispered.

“...Jumin?”

“Why didn’t you tell me!”

He rushed into the room now, door slamming shut behind him. He grabbed the collar of the gown roughly, dragging his friend up, only to stare at the bandages that now covered his eyes. Gritting his teeth, Jumin was furious. He wasn’t mad at V but at that... That snake that everyone in the RFA trusted.

He was mad at himself for noticing the signs and ignoring them until it was too late.

V only placed his slender hand on Jumin’s own, gently, oh-so gently. He smiled up at him, somehow knowing where he was.

“Jumin. Please.”

Jumin took in a shuddering breath, lowering V back into the bed, hand lingering on his chest before withdrawing it. “Forgive me. I lost myself.”

“No... I’m sorry. Jumin, I’m so sorry.”

“What did you tell the doctors?”

V’s shoulder’s shook, and his smile dropped, his hands covering his face. “An accident. She used the chemicals from my darkroom, so it was...an easy lie.”

“One of the nurses said you’ll never recover your sight. Is this true?”

“She...”

“V.”

“She didn’t...”

“V _._ ”

“Rika didn’t mean it... I deserved it...”

“ _Jihyun._ ”

V stiffened at that name, and he lowered his hands back into the bed. Jumin tentatively reached out, cupping V’s cheek in one hand.

“She’s not here. I am here. You’re safe.”

“She wants a divorce.”

 _That_ he wasn’t expecting.

“I deserved it all. I deserved everything she did to me... I wish she did more...”

Jumin...hated that woman now. She twisted Jihyun into... into this... somehow, she took the strong man and made him like this.

“Jumin, didn’t I deserve it?”

“ _No_. You deserve...only love.”

“But she doesn’t even love me anymore, does she?”

Jumin stayed silent. He could feel V trying to cry, unable to because of the damage currently, beneath his hand.

“Jumin...”

“Jihyun, you are _safe_ ,” he repeated. “I won’t let her touch you anymore.”

“But I have to! I have to...go back to her... I have to be her sun! She doesn’t have anyone but me. I have to... I can’t fail, I can’t fail, I can’t fail, please, Jumin, understand, please, understand, please, please.”

For the second time in his life, Jumin’s heart shattered into a million pieces.

He searched for Jihyun’s hand, holding it in both of his, and brought it to his lips, planting a tender kiss upon each knuckle. It was silly of him, he thought, but it made V relax.

“Jumin...?”

“You are safe...with me...”

 

—

 

 

> **[ X/23/20X6 : 11:48 : ZEN, Yoosung★, 707 ]**
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Sometimes I can’t believe that
> 
> **Yoosung★:** I was a ringbearer twice... ;_;
> 
> **707:** Is that really an achievement? lolol
> 
> **ZEN:** Please be nice to him! He doesn’t have many dreams lol
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Hey!
> 
> **Yoosung★:** But still... I can’t believe Rika killed herself either
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Do you think V is really okay with this?
> 
> **707:** Yoosung.
> 
> **707:** V is okay lol
> 
> **707:** Just trust me, okay?
> 
> **ZEN:** Yeah. V said himself that he’s okay.
> 
> **ZEN:** Didn’t you see him at the wedding? He’s totally fine.
> 
> **707:** lolol the wedding
> 
> **707:** Was **Jumin** fine?
> 
> **ZEN:** You’re right, he was crying his eyes out...
> 
> **Yoosung★:** He seemed to be happy, though...
> 
> **707:** Well I would hope so, it took him a year to finally come out
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Do you think Jaehee’s ok?
> 
> **ZEN:** You’re right;;
> 
> **ZEN:** She’s probably trying to handle the press right now...
> 
> **ZEN:** At least she doesn’t have to take care of his cat.
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Yeah, do you think it was weird for them to take Elizabeth on their honeymoon?
> 
> **707:** I wished he would’ve left Elly with me~~~!! I could’ve given her a honeymoon of her own!!
> 
> **Yoosung★: This isn’t about you.**
> 
> **707:** Harsh;;;
> 
> **— Jumin Han has entered the chatroom —**
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Meow.
> 
> **Jumin Han:** You were talking about me?
> 
> **ZEN:** Speak of the damned devil...
> 
> **— V has entered the chatroom —**
> 
> **V:** ^^
> 
> **V:** Me too?
> 
> **Yoosung★:** Aren’t you two in the same room?!
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Yes, we’re currently entangled in bed.
> 
> **ZEN: STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP!**
> 
> **Jumin Han:** We are having breakfast in bed, Zen.
> 
> **V:** What did you think we were doing? ^^;
> 
> **— ZEN has left the chatroom —**

 

—

 

“Here, here, let me help.”

Jumin came up behind V, wrapping his arms around the taller man. It was a good thing V was smaller than him, though, so he could reach around all the way to place his hands over top of V’s own. The camera in, now both of, their hands, steadied and focused on the sunset before them.

V snapped the shot.

“What’s it look like?”

“It’s not as beautiful as you.”

“You’re flattering me, again...” V turned around in Jumin’s arms, trailing his own hand, the other one holding the camera, up Jumin’s side, feeling everything about him, until he got to his face, where he held his cheek.

“You deserve it.”

Jumin leaned in, pressing fleeting kisses on either side of his mouth and upon those lips.

“You’re safe, V.”

“Because I’m with you, I.”


End file.
